Dr Nicole Church

Microstructure-Property Relationships

My research aims to exploit the fundamental link between microstructure and functional properties of structural engineering alloys to help address some of the most pressing challenges faced by key UK industries. At the heart of this initiative lies the development of advanced materials that can withstand service conditions for longer periods of time, thereby reducing costs and increasing sustainability.

Historically, extensive research has been dedicated to tailoring microstructure through alloying and processing methods to improve mechanical properties for specific high performance applications. Despite this, the evolving demands within many industrial sectors have outpaced what current materials can offer. As such, new material solutions are required.

Transforming Alloys

Certain classes of titanium alloys exhibit reversible shape-memory and superelastic behaviour with potential applications in the biomedical and engineering sectors. These alloys can sustain large, recoverable elastic strains, but suffer from a form of functional fatigue whereby the useful properties diminish with repeated mechanical cycling. My work exploits high resolution characterisation techniques to probe the mechanisms by which this functional fatigue accumulates, facilitating both compositional and thermo-mechanical processing optimisation to design new alloys that do not suffer from this in-service property degradation.

Nuclear Materials

Recent advancements in the nuclear sector have shifted focus toward micro-reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), as the economies of scale and ease of transport associated with their production results in much lower upfront costs than large scale alternatives. The drive to increase fuel burn-up means that operational temperatures are increasing, beyond the capabilities of current commercial alloys. My research looks to develop new materials better suited to these extreme environments, in order to address these challenges.

Healthcare Materials

As the UK population ages, conditions like osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and tooth loss become more prevalent, driving an increased demand for orthopaedic and orthodontic implants to restore mobility and enhance quality of life. Currently, the best commercial materials are based on alpha-beta titanium alloys, however failure rates are high, mostly due to aseptic loosening as a result of high implant stiffness. My research looks to design new materials with a reduced elastic stiffness and improve long term stability.